Weight-indicating device for well-drilling apparatus



- 31,616,194 G. A. MONTGOMERY WEIGHT INDICATING DEVICE FOR WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Feb. 1, 1927;

Filed May 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inzze7zi b2; w a M 4m Feb. 1, 1927. 1,616.194-

G. A. MONTGOMERY WEIGHT INDICATING DEVICE FOR WELL DRILLING AFPARATUS Filed May 16, 1924 2 Sheetg-Sheet 2 if if t 1 455 15 f5 42 11 4 1 .2 51

Patented Feb. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVUS A. MONTGOMERY, OF TITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

WEIGHT-INDICATING DEVICE FOR WELL-DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 16,1924. Serial No. 713,741.

of what the drilling erewhas accomplished during a period of time.

-A further object'of the inventionis to provide aneflicient andreliable.hydraulieweight indicating device having" supplementary means for counter-balancing the dead load sustained by the crown block or the weight of the lifting gear to which the upper end of the drill stem or'casing is attached.

Another object is to provide'a device of this character which is so constructed and organized that it can be readily applied to the top of the derrick and crown block without in any way' altering the construction.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. lis a fragmentary side elevation of a derrick showing myinvention in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top-plan viewof: the crown block and associated parts. Fig. Bis aside elevation, partly in section, of

bod'ying my improvements. Fig. 4 is an end view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 5 is-an enlarged'transverse vertical section of one of I the hydraulic units upon which the crown block is mounted. Fig-6 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 66, Fig. 3. Fig

7 is an enlarged fragmentary face view ofa recording instrument used in connection with my invention. p S1m1lar characters ofreference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several 5 vie ws.

' The invention 1s shown in connection with a derrick 10', of well known construction,

- supports the crown block 13. In theexample shownythishrown block preferably com prises four longitudinal beams 14 and two cross beams 15 securedto the undersides of the longitudinal beams near the ends thereof.

'Pulleys 16 are journalled onthe crown blockelevator 21 which part constitute the soa the crown block and associated parts em-' having a floor 11 and a cap-plate 12 which v called lifting gear of the drilling apparatus. The" crown block receives directly the weight of -'the drill stem and associated parts and 'the indicating mechanism forming the sub- 16013 matter of this inventionis interposed between said block and the cap-plate 12 of the derrick, and is preferably constructed as follows Located adjacent the four' corners of the derrick-cap are self-alining upright cylinders 22 closed at their lower ends and open at their upper ends, the lower ends terminating in round bearing portions 23 "which are seated in correspondingly shaped seats or sockets 24 formed in saddles 25, bolted or otherwise fastened to the upper side of said derrick-cap, as shown in Figs. 1 and-3. The upper ends of these cylinders terminate in enlarged portions or counter-bores 26, which constitute pressure chambers. Operating in the cylinders are substantially hollow pistons 27 whose upper ends are provided with enlarged heads 28 fitted in the corresponding pressure chambers 26. Said cylinders contain oil or other similar resistance fluid and to'prevent the escape of oil fromthe pressure chambers suitable packing-rings 29, 30

are provided, the rings 29 being carried by the piston-heads and the rings 30 being disposedin the cylinder-walls at a suitable distance below the pressure chambers. As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the pistons 27 are carried by and secured by bolts 31 or similar fastenings to the undersides of the transv'erse c'rown-beams 15, so that any weightsustained by the floating crown. block is transmitted to the several pistons which are cushioned more or less in their movements T by the fluid contained in the respective cylinders.

For the purpose of establishing communication between the pressure' chambers26 and the corresponding cylinders 22, the heads of the pistons 27 are provided with by-passes 32. Each by-pass contains a spring-pressed check-valve 33 which normally acts to prevent the flow of oil from the respective cylinder into the corresponding pressure cha1nher but is allowed to yield under predetermined pressure and allow the oil to be expelled from the pressure chamber into its companion cylinder. As shown in Fig. 5,

each check-valve is located in a filling op'enin 34: formed in the piston-head 28 and nor- 11151 L ly closed by. a screw-plug 35. Connected to the lower ends of the cylinders 22 is a manifold pipe 36 from which extends an oil-conducting pipe or conduit 37 leading to the inlet end of a suitable recording instrument 38 of any suitable and wellknown construction. In the instrument illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, the pointer 39 transverses a chart or dial 40 which contains both a time scale and a pressure scale, so that the pressure of the fluid corresponding to the load sustained by the crown-block 13 and transmitted from the cylinders to the pipe 37 is indicated by the graph line drawn by the pointer on the instrument-chart. As shown in Fig. 1, this recording instrument may. be mounted on the head post 41 of the derrick or other available place where it can readily be observed by the operators.

For the purpose of keeping the cylinders filled with oil, a suitable pump 42 maybe provided whose discharge end 43 is connected by a branch-pipe {14 with the conduit 37. A'suitable valve 45 may be located in the latter between the recording instrument 38 and the point of attachment of the branch pipe with said conduit. -During the filling operation this valve is closed. Means are provided, supplementary to the hydraulic weight indicating device, for counter-balancing the weight of the dead load or liftin gear of the drilling apparatus, so that this weight is not recorded on the pressure indicator, thereby leaving only the working loads subject to indication. To this end, a coil spring 46 is arranged in each cylinder 22, hearing at one end against the bottom thereof while its other end bears against the closed end of a socket 47 formed in the corresponding piston 27. Stop lugs or shoulders 48 secured to the upper end of the cylinder and overhanging the marginal edge of the piston-head 28 serve to limit the upward movement of the piston in its cylinder. The springs 46? are so de signed that they tend constantly to raise and sustain the weight of the crown block together with the lifting gear, including the cable 17, the pulley-block 19, casing hook 20 and elevator 21. The actual working load suspended from the elevator including the drill stem or casing and the drilling tool causes the springs -16 to be compressed and the weight of the live load is sustained by the oil cushions in the cylinders. As this weight is increased or decreased, the pressure exerted on the oil' cushions will be proportionately increased or decreased and will be indicated on the recording instruthe drilling tool during the drilling opera-.

ti0ns, the instrument chart showing in ad dition the accomplishments of the drilling to the live load suspended from the latter,

crew during a given period of time. Furthermore, should any burst or breakage take place on the drill-stem or its tool, the recording instrument will indicate the pressure on these parts at the time such burst or strain took place. Any such condition asthis can therefore be overcome and the driller can control or govern accordingly the amount of weight which the drilling tool will withstand under similar conditions. Should the recording instrument show no pressure whatever, even though the apparatus is rigged up for drilling, this will indicate that no drilling has taken place and that the drillingl tool is resting on the bottom of the we 1.

In the position of the parts shown in the drawings, the floating crown block is supporting a drill stemand tool, the pistons 27 being lowered in their cylinders 22 correspondingly and the comparative weight sustained by the crown block under these conditions is indicated by the amount of fluid pressure in the cylinders recorded on the instrument 38. When this weight is removed from the crown block so that only its lifting gear is suspended from it, the pistons move upwardly under the tension of the springs 46, this movement of the pistons being limited by the stop lugs 48. Under these conditions, said springs counterbalance the weight of the lifting gear and therefore no pressure is indicated on the recording instrument.

In the appended claims the term live load is intended to include the Weight of the drill stem and its tool, while the term dead load is used to denote the weight of the lifting gear including the crown block 13, cable 17, pulley block 19, casing hook 20 and elevator 21.-

I claim as my invention:

1. In a well drilling apparatus, the combination of a derrick,-a floating crown block mounted on said derrick and adapted to 1!) sustain a dead and a live load, a self-alin-, ing pressure transmitting means interposed between the derrick and the crown block adjacent each corner thereof and responsive an indicator for said pressure transmitting, means, and supplemeiitary means for sustain ing the dead load suspended from the crown block independently of said first-named means.

2. In a well drilling apparatus, the con1- bination of a derrick, a floating crown block mounted on said derrick and adapted to sustain a dead and a live load, hydraulic mechanism including self-alining elements interposed betwee 2.1 the derrick and the crown block and responsive to the live load suspended from the latter, an indicator for said hydraulic mechanism, and yieldable means applied to said self-alining elements for nor- I between said means bein derrick and the crown mally exerting a lifting effect on the dead load suspended from the crown block, said stressed when said hydraulic mechanism is actuated.

3. In a well drilling apparatus, the combination of a derrick, a floating crown block surmounting said derrick and adapted to sustain a deadand'live load, a cylinder and cooperating piston interposed between the block and located adjacent each corner thereof, one of said cooperating elements being fixed to the derrick and the other being fulcrumed on the crown block, a resistance fluid in said cylinder influenced by the live load suspended from the crown block, and means independent of said resistance fluid for sustaining the dead -load suspended from the crown block;

4. In the combination of ad'errick, a crown block surmounting the derrick and adapted to susa device of the character described,

tain a load, a cylinder and piston interposed between the derrick and the crown block and carried by said parts, respectively, said cylinder having an enlargement at its upper and forming a pressure chamber and said piston having a head operating in said chamber, a resistance fluid in said cylinder nd its pressure chamber, the piston having a by-pass for establishing communication chamber and said cylinder, and amindicator connected with the latter.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a derrick, a crown block mounted thereon and adapted to sustain a load, a cylinder and piston interposed between the derrick and the crown block and carried by said parts, respectively, said cyl inder having a pressure chamber at its upper the latter, and a spring interposed between end and said piston having a head oper- ,ating in said chamber, a resistance fluid 1n the cylinder and the piston and acting to counter-balance the weight of the crown block and its lifting gear, said resistance fluid being influenced by loads other than that of the crown block and its lifting gear.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a derrick, a crown block mounted thereon and adapted to sustain a load, a cylinder and piston interposed between the deri ick and the crown block and carried by said parts, respectively, said cylinder having a pressure chamber at its upfor-positively limiting the upward movement of said piston in its cylinder, said resistance fluid cushioning the downward movement of the piston and being influenced by the live load suspended from the crown block.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a derrick, a floating crown block adapted to sustain a dead and a live load, a plurality of cylinders fulcrumed at their lower ends on the top of the derrick adjacent'the corners thereof, a plurality of pistons attached to the underside of the crown block and operating in said cylinders, a resistance fluid in said cylinders influenced by the live load suspended from the crown block, means connecting the cylinders with one another, and coil springs contained in said cylinders and bearing at their upper ends against said pistons for counter-balancing the crown block and its dead load.

8. In a device of the character described,-

the combination of a derrick having a capplate provided with socketed supporting plates at its corners, a crown block adapted to sustain a load, upright cylinders having round bearing portions at their lower ends seated in said socketed plates, pistons attached to the undersides of said crown block and operating in said cylinders, and a cushioning medium contained in said cylinders and influenced by the load sustained by the crown block.

' 9. In a device of the character described,

GUSTAVUS A. MONTGOMERY. 

